St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-09
Mayor Ames Strikes Straight From the
Shoulder in Speech Upon Beth
any Home.
DOC Elliotts Record to Be Looked Into
Several People Want Big
Damages.
A Couple of Milwaukee Sharps Lose
Two Hundred Each in a Game
of Stud Poker.
C confirmation of the Work ofthe Vote
Canvasstn@ Committee by the
City Fathers.
RATHER SENSATIONAL.
Mayor Ames on Bethany Aome--He
ssCaIls,, Aid Pratt,

ssCaIls'' Aid Pratt,
At Yesterdays monthly meeting of the
supervisors OF the poor, Superintendent
Snyder made his report as follows:
Four hundred and seven applications made
for relief; 165 visits made by the superinten-
dent, 223 eases OF relief by groceries, 234
orders given for groceries and 222 orders
given for wood. Number Of patients in hos
pitfalls, ~; received during March, 80. Hos
pital expenses: st. Barnabas, S2S9.T1; Ho-
mceoputhic, S252.S6; Northwestern, Sli2.29;
Bethany home, S35l; total, Sl,01S.0i. Nun
Der OF inmates of poor house. to; expenses,
S592.2S. Number of visits by city physician,
$50: burials furnished, Is; transportation
furnished, 6. Total expenses, $2,S56S7.
A motion made to adopt the report was
unanimously carried. Before canvassing
the vote Mayor Ames rose and said he
wished to enter his personal protest:
He had noticed among the items 43 to
be allowed Bethany home for the care OF five
women and fourteen infants. He had only
the DAY before signed Il warrant for $500 in
favor of Bethany home allowed by the city
council at its last meeting in accordance with
|, law, which under the manlpulations of poll
ticians and sectarian partisans had been
passed by the legislature, giving the council
power to vote any sum not exceeding 5000
for the support Of Bethany home each
month. This made the amount allowed the
home for one month S95l.43. The record
kept by the superintendent showed that only
Il limited portion of the inmates OF the home
had been direct charges of the city. Th ere are
plenty of good and reputable physicians and
surgeons who are willing to establish hospitals
where women will be cared for two or three
weeks previous to confinement and for Il
sufficient period afterwards to insure the
safety and health of both mother and child.
While he believed in paying 4 liberal price
for the care of charges of tine city, he thought
eli "a 81 RI fl,n
bill after allowing the institution $500 for one
month Bethany Home he believed was q
worthy charity established by good women,
but it shonld be supported 10y private sub
scriptions and not by Il tax on the people.
If sectarian institution like Bethany Home
is to be supported by the city, why
should not the sisters of charity
and other alleviators of human suffering be
treated in like manner? He was fully con-
WINGED from evidence in his possession that
more than one-half of the inmates of Beth
amy home came from outside the city-from
other portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin,
Iowa. and even Dakota. and he did not regard
these as proper charges against the city of
Minneapolis. Plenty OF evidence could be
produced to show that goodly portion of
the inmates had been the victims of men of
wealth sent here to be confined and their Off
spring disposed of so as to cause them no in
convenience in the future. The city should
not be asked TO support this class of people.
There were reasons why the libertIneS O.
Fargo, D uluth. Winona. St. Peter, and other
places should infiict upon Minneapolis the
care OF their illegitimate offspring and the
mothers thereof.
Aid. Pratt here interrupted to say that he
thought Bethany home noble charity.
who ssid it wasn't?'' retorted the mayor.
Il think give and do as much for charity as
any three people in the city, and / don't say
it boastingly, either. ] have offered before
to give in private way to the support of
Bethany home. but don't believe the people
should be taxed to sustain it. after the city
has paid G good round sum for the care of its
charges. To show my good feeling toward
the Institution L will give as much as any
member of the board"
''How much will you give?" queried the
alderman.
'.Ill give hundred dollars if you will do
the same,'' answered the mayor.
Put up, them remarked Mr.. Pratt laconi-
cally, whereupon the may or went down in his
pocket and pulled out a hundred-dollar bill.
The alderman faltered out that he would
bring in a check for the amount, aud the
mayor handed his money over to the super
intendent with the instruction that it should
go to Bethany home when Pratt covers it,
The mayor continued to talk III the same
strain for some time. He did not believe in
giving the peoples money to carry out pri-
vate refOrmatory schemes while there We're
so many worthy poor and distressed whose
wants should be relieved.
Aid. Downs dissented from the state
ment that Bethany home is sectaran in
stitution, but the mayor met him with the
question. How much has been given to
the Sisters of Charity by the city? How
much will be given?"
Aid. Cloutier said he believed the mayor
to be right, and he had fought the Bethany
home bill in the legislature.
Mayor Ames expressed the fervent hope
now that the Democrats have majority in
the council that appropriations for Bethany
home will cease.